Poppin’ Champagne’s emphatic victory at Warwick Farm has persuaded her team to delay retirement plans and keep her in training for at least another season, with hopes of boosting her black-type credentials.

The Written Tycoon mare was originally set to go under the hammer at the upcoming Chairman’s Sale, but co-trainer Mick Price said her most recent performance convinced them to keep racing her for now.

“It’s coming good slowly but surely,” Price said of Poppin’ Champagne.

“It’s temperament has been extremely difficult. It’s stakes placed and it ran fourth in a stakes race up in Sydney, so we’re going to commit to another year for it.

“It’s a big, strong, beautiful mare and its temperament is starting to improve a fair bit.”

A former placegetter in the Morphettville Guineas (1600m), she also ran well in the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m) last spring at Randwick, finishing just behind the placegetters.

Now deep into her latest campaign, Price said she continues to impress and looks forward to seeing how she fares in Saturday’s TAB Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.

“I’m going to back it up. It’s thriving,” Price said.

“Every time I’m in Sydney, it looks the best.”

Chad Schofield takes the ride again, with the mare set to jump from barrier nine.

Although her early racing days were marked by behavioural issues, Price said long-term investment and persistence are finally paying off.

“The horses you buy yourself as yearlings and then syndicate to your ownership group, a lot of times you’ve got your heart and soul into them, so I didn’t want to give up on her,” he said.

“I think, just with maturity physically and mentally, she is starting to put it all together.

“It was a strong win the other day and she should cope with the back-up.

“She’s a metropolitan winner, she is stakes placed and eventually, if we could get a black-type win, that would be fantastic.”